How Did They Build That? — Season 1

Aired 3 January 2021 • 43 min

A Manhattan skyscraper designed to appear as if gust of wind could topple it over. A Paris museum described as an engineer's "jigsaw puzzle from hell," with 3,500 individually designed glass panels. And a cliffside elevator in Zhangjiajie so remotely located, it had to be built entirely by hand. Join us as we travel the globe to witness astonishing structures that pushed architecture and the laws of physics to the edge. Then meet the brilliant minds who designed and built these wonders and discover the stories behind their construction.

Aired 10 January 2021 • 43 min

A bent Manhattan building that actually caused panic in the streets. A cultural center in Athens that features a massive floating roof in an earthquake zone. A university complex in stifling Singapore that was built without air conditioning. In this episode, we examine the American Copper Building, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre, and "The Hive" at Nanyang Technical University, meeting the brilliant minds who designed and built them, and revealing their engineering secrets.

Aired 17 January 2021 • 43 min

From a logistical railway nightmare to an indoor tropical dreamscape, watch engineers and builders complete the impossible.

Aired 24 January 2021 • 43 min

Travel to a French valley, a Shanghai quarry, and the middle of Milan and witness architectural and engineering wonders.

Aired 31 January 2021 • 43 min

Watch architectural and engineering minds defy gravity and create artistic wonders in Belgium, Scotland, and Manhattan.

Aired 14 February 2021 • 43 min

Take a trip to Rotterdam, Guangzhou, and London and witness astounding feats of design and engineering.

Aired 21 February 2021 • 43 min

Witness a garden in the sky, a pier in the clouds, and a railway station that laughs in the face of natural disasters.

Aired 28 February 2021 • 43 min

Travel to Antarctica, Scotland, and the Canary Islands and witness wonders of engineering and design.